Safety stop for locomotives



Nov. 22, 1927.

E. KAUFFELD SAFETY STOP FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Sept. 30, 1926 I JNVENTOR. 544% NWM A, W A/ A TTORNEY IIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIII! III/I111 Patented Nllv. 22, 1927.

NITED STATES ELIAS KAUFE'ELD, O35 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFEhY S210 FOR LOCOMQTIVES.

lpplication filed September 30, 1926. Serial No. 138,639.

My invention relates to safety stops for locomotives and more particularly to stops for use with What is known as straight air systems of brake control. I

My invention has fol-its object the provision of means for stopping locomotives and trains in case danger signals are not heeded. It is a particular object of this iuvention to make the stopping of the locomotive and the cars attached thereto entirely automatic in case a danger signal has been passed. I provide means independent of the engineers throttle lever for cutting oil the steam from the ste m cylinders and I provide means whereb the engineer can not, in case of the operation of my stop, readily release the train pipe pressure and thereby release the brakes. I provide means also to prevent the setting of the brakes so suddenly as to injure persons on the train.

Another object is to provide means by-the side of the track whereby afiagman or other person may set the stop operating mech anism when the signal operator in the tower neglects to set the stop. Another object is to provide a novel lock which keeps the brakes set until the engineer leaves his cab and manually releases the lock. Other objects appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 represents my invention diagrammatically with parts broken away and omitted; Fig. 2, a plan view of that part of my invention which is connected with the track; Fig. 3, a section of Fig. 2 on the line III- H1; and Fig. 4, a section of Fig. 1 on the line IV--1V. I

On the drawing, 1 designates a tripping device having the base 2 and the opposite upstanding flanges or sides 3. The device 1 rests on the track ties lto which the base 2 is secured by the nails 5. The opposite end: of the sides 3 are provided. near their upper edges with pivots 6 on which the outer ends of two metal tripplates 7 are pivoted, the inner ends of the plates being pivotally connected together by the cross-pivot 8. The plates 7 have depending flanges 9 which overlap the Outer faces of the sides 3 and. have horizontal. elongated holes 10 to receive the pivots 6;

1n the sides 3 are journaled two shafts 11 and 12 having between the said sides the cranks 13 and 14. vertically above the shaft-. 11 engages a pendent metal strip 15 on the left plate 7 metal The crank 13 when raised and lifts the plates 7, the strip 15 having thestop lb to stop the crank in a vertical position. The shaft 11 has the ponds t arm l7 operable by one end. of the h t: lever 18 pivoted between its ends on 19 in. the plate 20 secured to two of the ties 4. The remaining end of the lever 13 is pivoted to the bar 2]; operable from a nearby signal tower, not shown. I

The shaft 12 is manually operated by the handle which may be locked in the for: 23 by the padlock 2i when the crank 14. is down as shown in the drawing. When the handle is thrown 180 from the position with air from a pump, not shown, connected to the pipe 29. Air in the tank may flow through the pipe to the T-fitting 31 from which it mayflow through the pipe 32 to the valve 27 and through the pipe 33, the valve 34, the pipe 35, the check-valve 36, and the pipe 37 to one branch of the Y-fitting 38. The check valve 36 may be any Well known type of device for automatica ly delaying the time required to build up the air pressure so that the brakes will not be set too suddenly and cause damage to persons and property. Air may flow between the valve 27 and'a'second branch of the f-fitting by way of the pipe 39, the valve 40, and the pipe 41. The remaining branch of the Y-fitting 38 is provided withthe train pipe 42 which is connected to the usual brake-controlling mechanism, on the locomotive and each car of the train connectedto the locomotive; 43 is the usual exhaust outlet for the valve 27 whereby air is drained through the valve 27-and from the train pipe 42 in order to release the brakes and hold them released.

44 is the steam supply pipe containing the 49 is a lever pivoted between its ends to a opened.

convenient support on the locomotive and 57 and which upon movement of the" lever 49 havingone end between the valves 34 and 46 and the other end below the valve 40. The valves 34 and 46 are cont-rolled by stems and 51. pivoted to the lever 49, and the valve 40 is controlled by the stem 52'pivoted to the lever 49. The valves are so constructed and controlled that, when the valve 34; is closed, the valves 40 and 4.6 are open,

and, when the valve 34: is open, the valves 40 and d6 are closed.

53 is a .lever pivoted between its ends to a convenient support on the'loeomotive. One end is pivotally connected by the link 5a to that end of the lever 49 which carries the stem 52'. The other end of the lever 53 carries the roller-55. The parts are so arranged and proportionedlhat, when the plates 7 are down, or horizontal, the roller passes directly over them. Without being operatively.

engaged by them, and when the plates are elevated, as shown, the rollenengages the plates and causes the levers 49 and 53 to beroelred so as to open the normally closed valve 34: and close the normally open valves 40 and 4,6. The valve 34 is normally closed so that air may not normally pass directly to' the train pipe 42. The valve 40 is pro vided to prevent air from the tank 28 passing'frpm the Y'-fittii'1g to the eiiihaustltsutlet (l3 Whenever the emergency valve d lv is open so that the engineer may controlthe supply oi steam to the locomotive cylinder. lVhenthe train 1s running normally with the brakes released and the roller in its lowest position, which requiresthe valve 34 to be closed and the valves All and 4,6 to be open, the engineer has full eontrol of the steam and air precisely as he would have if my improvement were not present.

When the stop plates 7 have been elevated indicating d.angerand requiring that the locomotive shall not pass the same, and the engineer disregards the same, the roller 55 by engagement with the stop plates 7 causes (,1) the steam'valve to be closed Without any operation of the throttle lever 47, the steam being therefore out off Without any possibilty of the engineers preventing 1t, because the valve 46 is controlled by means entirelyindependent of the throttle lever 47 (2') the air is admitted to the train pipe l2through the valve which by-passes the engineers air-valve 27 and is wholly independent of the same; (3) the air admitted thus to the train pipe is prevented by the closure of-the valve 40 from escaping through the exhaust end inoutlet 51:3 and is therefore applied to the brakes Without the-possibility of prevention by the engineer, his valve 27 being entirely inoperative; and (4t) the lever 49 is locked in the position shown in Fig. 1 by the springaotuated pin which normally'has its inner 'u 1.8 shallow portion of the slotllormelly the'steam' valve l6 is to the position shown is pushed by the spring '58 into the hole 59 in the lever at the lower end of the slot 5?. Preferably the locking device just described is located at a point on the locomotive which requires the engineer to leave his cab in order to pull the pin out of the hole: 59 and reset the stop niecha v nism to its normal state.

In case a train should come to rest just 7 after passing a danger signal, the flagnian going back could by operating the lever 22 elevate'the'plates 7, it he finds them down,

or in case the train isv to back to its'proper place behind the signal, he can lower the plates, if they are still up, so that my emergency mechanism can not be operated. The lever 22 can be used whenever the towermau has not properly set the signals and the plates 7 I claim.

-1. For a train equipped With a straight air system of brake control, a train pipe, a source of compressed air therefor, an engineers valve in the train pipe, a bypass around the said valve, a normally closed :valve in the by-pass, and means operable by.

a track obstruction .for automatically preventing the flow of air'through the engiion 3. For a train equipped with a straight air system of brake'eontrol, a train pipe, an engiiieers valve therein, a normally open valve in the train pipe, :1 source of compressed air for the train pipe, a bypass around the said two valves, a normally closed valve in the lay-pass, andmeans operable by a track obstruction for automatioal 1y closing thesecond valve and opening the valve in the by-pass.

For a train equipped. with a straight air system of brake control, a train pipe, a source. of compressed ,air therefor, an engineers valve in the train pipe, a'by-pass around the said valve, a normally closed valve in the by-pass, means operable by a track obstruction for automatically prevent ing the flow of air throughv the engineers valve and automatically opening the valve in the by-p'ass, and means in the-bypass for automatically delaying the time required to build up the air pressure in the train pipe beyond the last said means.

For a train equipped with a straight air system of brake control, a train pipe, a source of compressed air therefor, an engineers valve in the train pipe, at lay-pass around the said valve, a normally closed valve in the by-pass, means operable by a track obstruction for automatically preventing the flow of air through the engineers valve and automatically opening the valve in the by-pass, and a releasable means distant from the engineers normal position, for automatically locking the preventing means and the valve in the bypass, in the positions to which they are, moved by the track obstruction.

F or a train equipped with a straight air system of brake control, a train pipe, an engineers valve therein, a normally open valve in the train pipe, at source of compressed air for the train pipe, a bypass around the said two valves, a normally closed valve in the by-pass, means operable by a.

track obstruction for automatically closing the second valve and 0 ening the valve in the bypass, and releasa le means for looking the second valve and thevalve in the bypass in the positions to which they are moved by the track obstruction.

7. For a train equipped with a straight air system of brake control, a train pipe, an engineers valve therein, a normally open valve in the train pipe, a source of compressed air for the train pipe, a by-pass around the said two valves, a normally closed valve in the bypass, means operable by a track obstruction for automatically closing the second valve and opening the valve in the by-pass, and means in the bypass for automatically delaying the time required to build up the air pressure in the train pipe beyond the last said means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

ELIAS KAUFFELD. 

